Star-crossed
by ishippedsohardisunk
Summary: In Copycat, Marinette erased the voicemail she left Adrien and saved herself a lot of potential embarrassment. But what would have happened if Adrien had heard it anyway?
1. Chapter 1

Adrien sprinted into the locker room to get a drink and found Plagg gorging himself on camembert in his bag. "Plagg, you pig!"

The kwami sighed contentedly and burped. "You have one new message."

"Move, please, so I can check my voicemail. Hmm, don't recognize this number," Adrien mused. He still had a little time before the statue unveiling ceremony started so he clicked on it.

Marinette's usual nervous babble filled his ear. "Uhh, hello. Uh, Adrien's voicemail, uh, this is Marinette, who, uh, has a message for you, of course, cause it's, uh, your phone, so, umm, heh heh heh, call me see you later bye!"

He was about to put the phone down when a slightly more muffled Marinette continued smoothly as if talking to someone else. "What? What did you expect me to say? 'Hey, hot stuff, this is Marinette, I'd ask you on a date to a movie, but I've got such a crazy crush on you that the only way I can talk to you without foaming at the mouth is over this stupid phone.' Pretty ridiculous, right?"

His brain shut down. Marinette _liked_ him? She'd always seemed so uncomfortable with him! Marinette—who he had seen take several people down with her words—was a nervous, stuttering wreck because of him? He could have stood there frozen for several sunlit days if Plagg hadn't reminded him of the ceremony.

"You wouldn't want to miss a chance to see _Ladybug_ would you?" he said slyly. Plagg was forever teasing him about his crush. Ladybug! Marinette liked him but he liked Ladybug. Marinette was nice and he liked her well enough but not like that… So what to do about this new development? He didn't want to hurt her feelings but there wasn't really a way around it, was there?

He tried pushing it all out of his mind on the way to the ceremony but couldn't do it. So when the sculptor, Theo Barbot insinuated he was in love with Ladybug, Chat Noir couldn't handle it and snapped. What did it matter anyway if the artist thought he and Ladybug were together? If things went his way they would be anyhow. How wrong he was.

Adrien couldn't find his phone, which was annoying enough on its own, but finding out that a fake Chat Noir whose imitation of him was poor at best was stealing things was the icing on the cake. When he tried to explain himself to the police, they locked him in the Louvre. He had just escaped when he got the call from Ladybug. She seemed concerned.

"Chat Noir, what's going on?"

"You know I'm innocent, don't you Bugaboo?" he said as lightly as possible. He needed her to believe he wasn't capable of stealing.

She seemed annoyed. "Stop playing around and calling me Bugaboo. This is really serious!" Well, at least she cared that much.

"I'm gonna find the real culprit and save my tail. I'll get back to—" he tried to reassure her but cut off the call in surprise when he saw the police helicopter that was after him. He jumped into a metro terminal and detransformed, innocently striding out the other side.

"If you want my opinion, I'd say the thief was akumatized," Plagg said before chowing down on his cheese.

"That much I'd figured," Adrien sighed. "See that lollipop stick? The sculptor. How did I not see that jealousy coming a mile away?"

"Yours or his?"

Adrien chuckled dryly. "So funny." He had been jealous though. Jealous that his lady could be with anyone other than him. The sculptor didn't even know her! Well…technically he didn't know her behind the mask but he still saw her just about every day.

A few minutes later he found the sculptor's workshop and called Ladybug back to let her know.

"Huh? Chat Noir, where are you?" Oh, she was definitely worried about him. That was flattering.

"I found his den."

"Who?"

"My Copycat," he explained.

"I'm not getting you," Ladybug admitted.

He sighed. He'd wanted to see her today but not like this. "If you'd been there this morning you'd know what I was talking about."

She quickly changed the subject back to him. "Well? Tell me where you are."

Chat Noir didn't want her anywhere near the sculptor. If she ever found out he'd lied about their relationship because he was jealous…his lady hated liars. "No, this is between me and him. I got myself into this mess, so I'm gonna get myself out." He hung up before she could brook any further argument and landed in the studio.

He found a note on box in the empty workshop. "Cat's in the bag?" he mused aloud before the box opened and he was stuck in chains. "Cataclysm!"

Copycat appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his wrist and putting his hand on a random object, wasting the cataclysm. Great. Now he was stuck and didn't have much time left before detransforming. Way to go, Agreste.

"I don't get what Ladybug sees in you," Copycat scoffed. "A fool who so easily falls into my trap." He held up Chat Noir's staff. "Looking for this? Which one should I pick up, my one or _my_ one?"

The staff started ringing and Chat Noir watched in horror as Copycat answered it with a semi-decent impression of his voice this time. Ladybug. "Ladybug, hurry up. I've caught the impostor at Théo Barbot's workshop."

Chat Noir heard his lady's voice coming from the staff. "I'll be there in thirty seconds."

He tried yelling loud enough for her to hear. "Don't come here, Ladybug! It's a trap!" It was no use.

"Too late, Chat. Ladybug's on her way, which was my plan all along," Copycat said with a smirk.

"She won't be duped. She knows me too well." Chat Noir tried infusing as much confidence into his voice as possible. They were partners. Maybe even friends. Ladybug had to know him when she saw him.

"I know you well too," Copycat insisted while looking at his akumatized photo. "And from now on, she'll love me, not you!"

Chat Noir was confused a moment. "Love me? ...You're right! She loves me! That's why she'll be able to reveal your true identity!" Much as it might backfire on him later, he'd have to use Copycat's crush to his advantage.

Hawk Moth's signature butterfly mask appeared over Copycat, communicating with him, and Copycat knocked Chat Noir down to steal his ring. Ladybug appeared right in the knick of time.

"There you are," Copycat said.

"Chat Noir! He really looks like you," Ladybug said with an edge of doubt in her voice.

"That's because I am me!" Chat Noir insisted. _Come on, my lady, you have to know its me._

"Where's his akuma?" Ladybug asked the imposter.

"Inside his ring of course. Grab it," Copycat said tauntingly.

Chat Noir's ring beeped, reminding him how much he'd screwed himself over, and Ladybug eyed him even more suspiciously. "He even has the same powers as you."

"Simply amazing, isn't it?" Copycat asked.

Chat Noir was getting desperate. "If you don't believe I'm the real Cat Noir, ask him about our love for each other."

She looked even more confused. "Uhh…"

"Have I ever lied to you Bugaboo?" he pleaded with a wink.

This seemed to make her mind up. The other Chat Noir wouldn't have called her Bugaboo—he'd barely come up with the nickname.

Ladybug got up in Copycat's face. "I hope you didn't tell him about us."

Copycat shifted nervously. "What?"

"That we're... you know, we made a secret promise?" she asked seductively.

"Uh, yes, of course!" Copycat fumbled.

Ladybug smirked. "We never made a promise. Copycat!" Thank goodness. She knew he was the real one!

Copycat dropped the pretense. "I love you Ladybug! I'm way better than this mangy alley cat!"

"Sorry, but liars are losers. Chat Noir may annoy me to pieces, but he's never lied to me."

"Thanks for the compliment! I think," Chat Noir said as her words sunk in. Did she really think he was that annoying?

"If I can't have you, then nobody will! Cataclysm!" Copycat howled.

"Let's wrap this up," Ladybug said. "Lucky Charm! A spoon? What am I supposed to do with this?" She momentarily forgot about the spoon, thinking quickly and moving Chat Noir's chains so the imposter's cataclysm freed him.

"Excellent job, my lady," Chat Noir beamed at her. He could always count on her. Manipulation or not, he shouldn't have tried excluding her from facing this akuma.

"Where's his akuma?" she asked a second time.

"The photo in his pocket. Let's make it snappy." He didn't have much time left and the Gorilla had probably noticed his absence.

"You're going to change back before me," Copycat taunted as they began to battle it out.

"He's pretty good," Ladybug noted.

"No need to rub it in!" Chat Noir whined.

Copycat gloated. "I told you I was better than him."

Ladybug swiped Chat Noir's staff from Copycat and tossed it back to him. "But I'm better than both of you!"

As Copycat and Chat Noir continued fighting, Ladybug grabbed her partner's arm. "Hey!" he complained. "It's me!"

"He's lying," Copycat lied. "I'm the real one."

Ladybug stomped her foot. "Ugh, now you're both annoying me to pieces! Show me your ring. How many pads you have left?" Chat Noir gladly showed his, proving his identity, while Copycat hid his.

"Chat Noir, scratch attack!" Ladybug directed as she got to work making something of her lucky charm.

"Gladly. I love a good cat fight," he said before meowing and launching himself at Copycat.

"Time to go akuma fishing," Ladybug announced, holding up her homemade fishing rod. She used it to lift Copycat to the ceiling and retrieve the photo, ripping it and freeing the akuma. Once it was cleansed, Theo fell from the ceiling and Chat Noir caught him.

"Nice catch," Ladybug remarked.

"I'm so glad you could tell the real cat from the fake one," Chat Noir said, masking his true joy at this. She knew him. She wasn't fooled by the fake. On some level, she believed in him.

She shrugged. "Once I figured out which cat was really in love with me, it was a no-brainer." Oh. _Oh._ She didn't think his feeling for her were genuine. The flirting, the witty banter…it really did mean nothing to her.

He wanted to tell her it wasn't true, that he really did care, but his ring was on its final pad. "Better help the fellow out. His crush just got crushed." As he rushed out the door, he added under his breath, "That makes two of us."

His heartbreak and confusion would have to wait. He had to get back to the gym. Sure enough, his phone wasn't there either. Great.

The next morning he was talking to Nino about where his phone could possibly be when it spilled out of his bag. There was only one explanation. Marinette. She was right behind him and was the only one who could have put it back in just then. Why would she take his phone? Oh. The voicemail. Did she know he heard it? Did she not want him to know she liked him? Did she think she had erased it in time and he didn't know anything?

That was probably it. Well, if she thought he didn't know, he wasn't going to say anything. That would save him from having to hurt her. Considering—in her words—she couldn't speak to him without 'foaming at the mouth,' she probably wouldn't try again soon. That would buy him time to figure out what to do.

Try as he might, the rest of the day he couldn't quite look at Marinette in the same way now that he knew.


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette was being paranoid. Adrien wasn't looking at her funny—at least no more than usual. He did sometimes look at her like she'd grown a second head when she was spouting nonsense at him…why did she have to be like that? She was Ladybug, for goodness sake! She faced down supervillains on an almost daily basis and she couldn't talk to a single boy? Even if he was an extremely dreamy. She wanted to think it was all in her head but it had been going on for days. Days! Adrien had been periodically staring at her ever since the Copycat incident.

She wondered if maybe he had heard the voicemail after all before dismissing it. His phone may have been complicated to work but the voicemail box clearly stated that it was a new message. It wouldn't do that if he had heard it. So what was with the staring? She was equal parts uncomfortable and elated.

She decided the best way to see if she was being paranoid was to ask. Alya always told things to her straight. She leaned over and whispered, "Am I crazy or has Adrien been staring at me?"

"Adrien has totally been staring at you," Alya confirmed. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No way!" Marinette protested. "I have no idea what's going on! I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Alya pondered this. "At least he's noticing you, right? That has to count for something."

Marinette banged her head on the desk. "I just want to know _why._ It's freaking me out!"

Her best friend laughed. "I can tell. Chill, girl. It can only mean good things when your crush can't stop looking at you."

"What if he's only doing it because he thinks I'm a dorkasaurus and is trying to figure me out like some sort of science experiment?" she moaned. "I can't deal with it, Alya!"

"You could always ask him," Alya offered.

Her head shot up. "Are you kidding me?! Nuh uh. Not possible. The strain would literally stop my heart."

Alya shook her head with a smile as the bell rang. "You're hopeless, girl. Come on. It's time for food!"

Marinette dragged herself to her feet and once again caught Adrien staring at her as she left the room to go home for lunch. It was really beginning to unnerve her.

"So what do you do when you're not Ladybug?" Chat Noir asked as they were chasing after Lady Wifi. She still couldn't believe her best friend had been akumatized. She was fighting _her best friend._

Ladybug tried to cover her shock at the question. She had almost let her thoughts about Alya slip and that could have been a clue to her identity. "Can't you see we're a little bit busy right now?" She looked up and saw that Alya—no, Lady Wifi—wasn't above them anymore. "She's gone back into the hotel!"

Chat Noir glanced at one pink lock icon after another as they ran up countless flights of stairs. "She locked all the doors! Hey, you realize we might actually know each other in normal life."

The very thought was ridiculous. She didn't know anyone like Chat Noir—no one so cocky or with such a terrible sense of humor—so it wasn't possible. "Doubt it! It's locked!"

After several more floors, they reached the top level—the only one that was unlocked. "She's left this one open," Chat Noir noted.

"Get ready for an ambush on three! Three…two…one!" Ladybug shouted. They kicked open the door and found an empty dining room with a phone on every table.

"Ahh, so much for the ambush," Chat Noir said as he looked around.

"Follow me," Ladybug directed. "Where is she hiding? And what's up with all these phones?" It was more than a little weird.

Lady Wifi appeared from one of the phones and began to attack.

Chat Noir leapt over and ducked behind a table. "How now, brown cow? I thought it was you she was after!"

How now brown cow? He was so weird. Ladybug tied Lady Wifi up with her yoyo but the villain disappeared and reappeared on a different phone. "Ha! You can't get me!" Ladybug needed to find a way to get rid of those phones. She began smashing them left and right with her yoyo to prevent the akumatized girl's escape.

Ladybug followed Lady Wifi into the kitchen and realized too late that it was a trap, when she locked the door behind her and trapped her against the wall with two pink lock icons pinning her arms down. _Come on, Chat Noir,_ she thought desperately.

"Who is Ladybug? Is she a superhero or a super-weirdo? How can we trust the girl when we have no idea who she really is? We have the right to know!" Lady Wifi insisted and tugged at Ladybug's mask to no avail. _"_ Why doesn't it come off?"

"Uhhh…because it's magic?" Hallelujah! No one had ever actually tried removing her mask before. It was nice to know that wasn't possible.

The service elevator dinged and Chat Noir slid out. "You're out of minutes, Lady Wifi!" His comedic timing may not be the best but he was always right where Ladybug needed him.

Lady Wifi smirked. "Oh, how romantic. Tomcat's come to save his lovebug!"

Ladybug pulled a face. Her and Chat Noir? Dream on. "I am not his lovebug!"

"We'll come back to that later," Chat Noir said and Ladybug wanted to yell at him to actually _do_ something instead of chatting with the villain. She wanted off the stupid wall! Her wish came true but only after Lady Wifi knocked her partner into a giant freezer and locked the door.

Hawk Moth's butterfly mask came over Lady Wifi before she spoke again. "If you don't get him outta there fast, your crush will be slush. Ha ha ha! Good luck with your cat popsicle! I have other news to cover!" She vanished, leaving Ladybug confused at why Lady Wifi thought she and Chat Noir were a thing before she remembered he was stuck in a freezer. She immediately rushed over to help.

"I'll get you out of there Chat Noir," she promised.

"Take your time!" he called through chattering teeth.

"Lucky charm!" Ladybug yelled and a polka dotted box landed in her hands. "This better be some lucky box…of course, the microwaves!" She put the metal box in the microwave, pushed it over to the locked freezer, and waited for it to explode. "Come on micro-thingies, jam this signal…" she muttered desperately. Chat Noir had been in there too long. He was freezing to death when she was two feet away!

The seal broke when the microwave did and Chat Noir tumbled into Ladybug's arms, half-frozen. "You okay, Chat Noir?" she asked with more tenderness than she thought she was capable of. She was just worried about him, that's all.

"You used your lucky charm…" he noted, his tone almost surprised that she'd do that for him. That made her sad. "There's not much time left." To her relief, his voice sounded stronger when he spoke again. "Open the kitchen door!"

"We can't, the microwave's busted." A thought struck her and she whispered into Chat Noir's ear, aware of Lady Wifi's camera in the room. "Here's what to do, listen to me…"

"Got it."

With a wicked grin, Chat Noir slid a pan over Lady Wifi's camera, blocking the view of her broadcast. Ladybug was freaking out. She was almost out of time!

It was honestly a miracle they were able to defeat the akuma and dodge Alya wanting interviews when both of their miraculouses were so close to losing power. Ladybug started to dash into a room to detransform when Chat Noir stopped her, desperation in his tone.

"Stay! I won't tell anyone. Cat's honor." He smiled at her sweetly and held up a hand as his miraculous beeped. After almost losing him…it was tempting. Today proved how much she cared. She wanted to know who he was. Even if he could be annoying, they could hang out and do things that normal friends did.

"Nobody must now who we really are," she said sadly. "Not even us." She shut the door behind her, not realizing it was open enough that her partner could see the flash of her transformation and was even more conflicted than she was.

She thought about it all the way home and told Tikki what she was feeling one they reached her balcony.

"Is that true? You're gonna tell him? Is that what you heart's saying?" the kwami demanded nervously.

Marinette sighed. "Sometimes your heart tells you one thing, but a great superhero always listens to her head." Telling Chat Noir may have been what she wanted to do but it wasn't the smart thing to do. She could deal with the curiosity.

After Alya surprised her on her balcony with her theory that Adrien was Chat Noir, Marinette was in a state of disbelief. There's no way. They were too different! Chat Noir was probably some class clown who wore leather jackets and rode a motorcycle. Not practically perfect model Adrien Agreste. The only similarities where the blonde hair and green eyes. Let's be real, the cat eyes of the mask could cover any eye color and lots of people were blonde. Chat Noir flirted with her at every given opportunity. Adrien just…stared at her weirdly. There really wasn't anything _to_ compare.


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien wasn't sure why he jumped up the moment Chloe announced that Nathanael had a crush on Marinette. Was it jealousy or was he just in shock? It was weird finding out that someone who liked you was liked by someone else in a way he couldn't explain. Once Nathanael was sent to the principal's office he strained to hear what Marinette and Alya were whispering about but the whole class was buzzing so that was impossible. Mme. Mendeleiv shushed everyone and class resumed as usual but Adrien couldn't focus for the rest of the lesson. His thoughts were a confused jumble.

Later, in the library, Adrien overheard a snippet of conversation between Chloe, Sabrina, and Marinette. He was really glad he hadn't been put in that project group! Things seemed pretty heated. Chloe started screaming and he looked up in alarm. Was that…a flying hair dryer?

Adrien quickly found a secluded place to transform and came back to see Chloe screaming and Ladybug coming out of nowhere and jumping on the hair dryer. "Run and hide!" she commanded.

His heart thumped in his chest—she'd really gotten here fast—and he tried to play it cool. "I got wind that you were being blown away by a hairy situation."

She glared at him. "Fewer puns, more action!"

They managed to stop the hair dryer and ran after the newest akumatized villain. "Well, that guy looks pretty sketchy!"

He drew a wall and the two superheroes slammed into it, giving him time to get away. "Where'd he go?" Ladybug demanded.

"I don't know, but he sure has a way of illustrating his point," Chat Noir said with a grin. Ladybug just looked at him and groaned. Yep. Business as usual.

Once they safely moved Chloe back to her father's hotel, Ladybug was acting even more annoyed than usual but her annoyance wasn't directed at him this time.

"Looks like somebody's got a fan," Chat Noir teased after Ladybug unsuccessfully tried to dodge getting her picture taken for the second time.

"Yeah, great," she said flatly, looking as steamed as he'd ever seen her.

"So what's the deal? Why are you acting so weird? Come on, you gotta admit that having this girl worship you is pretty awesome," he tried reasoning. They both had their fair share of fans. What made this time different? Unless…was it possible that Ladybug actually _knew_ Chloe? She did tend to put people off. He remembered how people treated him when he first came to school because the only thing people knew about him was that he was Chloe's friend.

Ladybug wasn't listening to him. She was looking at one of the drawings of Marinette that Nathanael had drawn, only Chloe had added a mustache. "Ugh, seriously? I'm over this! Let's go!" She marched out onto the balcony, expecting her partner to follow. What had gotten into her? Ladybug cared about protecting _everyone._

"Are you kidding me? And what if the Evillustrator attacks her again?" he asked incredulously. Chloe had her faults—more than he cared to admit since he always found himself in the uncomfortable position of defending her—but she was still his oldest friend and he wasn't about to let her get hurt.

"Fine! You stay! Later!" She mounted the railing as if ready to take off and Chat Noir was baffled.

"What do you mean?"

She glared at him. "I mean, you're the one who wants to protect her, but you don't need me. So, later!" With that, she swung away, leaving him more confused than ever as Chloe cooed in her wake.

"Ahhh! Ladybug! Text me, okay?"

Chat Noir was slightly annoyed that Chloe was fangirling so hard over Ladybug but didn't seem to care one bit about him. Well, Chat Noir him. She seemed to care too much about Adrien. More than he was comfortable with—Chloe was practically a sister. He sulked a little staring after the spot on the balcony where Ladybug had swung away as Chloe jabbered on about something he tuned out.

Unfortunately, he could only tune Chloe's voice out for so long. "Ohhh... Sabrina is so selfish! Making me do this project by myself?! Ugh, my brain hurts... Huh? Hey! Cat Noir, Are you any good at particle physics?"

He couldn't help but brag a little. It was his favorite subject. "Oh, this cat's got particle physics in the bag," he assured her. He was meeting with Nino and Alya the next day to work on the project and he was really looking forward to it.

"Ah! Great!" She pulled his arm and shoved the project notes at him. "Sit, kitty! Now, make it sound purrfect for my presentation. See what I did? I made a cat joke! Ah! I can be funny." She seemed so pleased with herself as she began flicking through a magazine.

"Yeah, hilarious," he said sarcastically when his staff rang. Ladybug. "You can't just fly out of here and then decide to make cat calls, Ladybug!"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, that wasn't cool. But you can leave Chloé. I need you to protect this girl instead." He was shocked to find a picture of Marinette show up on his screen. "Her name is Marinette. Really cute, isn't she? The Evillustrator is in love with her, and promised not to harm Chloé as long as Marinette comes to his birthday party. While he's distracted, I want you to take him down." Chloe had just dinged his bell. He was acutely uncomfortable. Only Ladybug was allowed to do that.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'm going on... a very important secret mission. I'll catch up with you later. Can you handle this alone?"

Awkward as he felt around Marinette these days, anything was better than doing Chloe's homework. "Ha! Please! It'll be a cinch!" He ended the call and turned to Chloe. You're out of danger, uh, so I'll see ya! Later!" He jumped out the window and headed straight to Marinette's, using the directions Ladybug gave him. He'd never been to her house before.

He was surprised to find how _close_ her house was to his. He could walk there, easily! Why couldn't Nino live that close? It'd be so much easier to sneak out to hang with him that way. He couldn't imagine hanging out one-on-one with Marinette. She still couldn't stop stammering around him and knowing it was because she liked him made it so much more awkward.

He jumped into a nearby alley and saw Sabrina yelling at Marinette. Girl just couldn't catch a break today, could she? He popped up where Sabrina had stood the moment she left, startling Marinette. Since she didn't know who he was, this was his chance to see how she acted around other people. He had to admit, he was curious. She did seem to be really popular. "Whoo-hoo! I thought I was going to have to save you from that girl's claws. Get it? Claws? Hey, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Chat Noir."

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Uh, yeah... I know! You kinda save the day all the time and stuff...I'm Marinette! So... What are you doing here?"

"Well, that birthday boy date of yours is bad news. But don't worry. You'll be safe with me," he said confidently. Ladybug was counting on him. That aside, Marinette was still his friend—sort of—and he didn't want to see her hurt even if things were kind of weird right now.

"That puts my mind at ease," she said dryly. Was that sarcasm?

"But I am going to need a little help," he continued as if it wasn't. "Care to assist a superhero?" He preened a bit, showing off. He couldn't help it. It was so much more fun being Chat Noir than it was being Adrien. It's not like Marinette knew that he—Adrien—was showing off for her. That could be a disaster.

"What about Ladybug? Aren't you a duo?"

"She's busy with something tonight, so...You get to be my Ladybug." He cringed internally when he said that. No one could replace Ladybug. What they had was special, even if she didn't realize it yet. They were connected in a way no one else could be—they had saved each other's lives countless times and no one else knew what it was like having to hide a secret identity.

She struck a pose and he was pretty sure she was teasing him. This was so far from the Marinette he knew. He…kind of liked it. "Me and Chat Noir? Fighting crime together? Amaazing! What do I do?"

"Just get that drawing pencil away from him, little lady," he said with a wink before jumping away. He tried and failed not to think of how much more interesting Marinette was when she wasn't bumbling in front of him. He couldn't think about that now. He had to protect her; that was his job.

A few hours later, he was patrolling the area the date was supposed to take place when he spotted the Evillustrator getting cozy with Marinette on a boat. He was surprisingly unsettled seeing them sit so close. Was this an extension of the weird realization of this morning?

"I...actually draw a little too, I'm not as good as you are, of course," he heard Marinette say.

"I'm sure you're a wonderful artist," Evillustrator said earnestly.

"Well, can I draw you something special for your birthday?" Marinette asked, batting her lashes at him. He had to be ready, it was almost his cue.

"That would be amazing," Evillustrator breathed before glancing up and noticing Chat Noir. Drat! "Marinette, give me my pencil back. I need to draw something, now!"

Marinette didn't hesitate. "No, I'm keeping it! Chat Noir! Now!" He extended his staff to block the suddenly outraged akumatized villain.

"Marinette! You're working with him? I'm so stupid...I actually thought you liked me! But you're really just like Chloé. Teasing me, mocking me, leading me on!"

She stamped her foot in anger and gestured wildly. "Come on! Seriously? Why is everybody comparing me to Chloé tonight?"

Evillustrator took advantage of the situation and kicked at Chat Noir's staff, retrieving his pencil, and drawing a box that trapped him with Marinette. The villain continued, "And I'm taking back my promise! Chloé's gonna get a little lesson she'll never forget!" He drew a hole in the boat before leaping away.

"We've been painted into a corner! Literally!" Chat Noir yelped. What now? Why did Ladybug have to be busy tonight? She was the one good with things like this.

"Chat Noir, your stick! Extend it!" Marinette instructed.

He gaped at her only a moment. Why didn't he think of that? "Great idea!"

"Yeah…I'm a genius," she said in that same semi-sarcastic tone from before. He grabbed her around the waist and extended the staff, safely landing off the sinking boat.

As much as he'd like to discuss said genius—she really was full of surprises—he needed to find Chloe and prayed that Ladybug was done with whatever had held her up. "Gotta go. A superhero's work is never done. Damsels in distress, ladies in waiting...I've got a lot more saving to do. You can thank me later." He jumped away before Marinette could say anything else that would tempt him to stay and talk to her. His friend needed help.

When he arrived at the hotel, Ladybug was already there. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in."

She shot him a look. "No cat dragged me anywhere, Chat Noir. I flew in all on my own." So independent. Sigh.

"So what was this secret mission?" He really could have used her help earlier but he suspected her absence had something to do with her secret identity. What _did_ Ladybug get up to when she wasn't Ladybug? How did she spend her free time? What had been so important tonight that she couldn't get out of it?

She rolled her eyes. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret." He should have known better than to hope. Ladybug was super tight-lipped when it came to identities. He didn't know a thing about her beyond personality traits he'd witnessed firsthand.

The Evillustrator jumped back into the conversation then, startling Chat Noir, which was stupid considering it was the whole reason he was there in the first place. He couldn't afford to get distracted in battle! He refocused himself and despite nearly falling to his death (how embarrassing) they ultimately succeeded, pounding it as Nathanael reappeared on the floor.

After everything that happened, Adrien really wanted to know what Marinette thought of him—Chat Noir him. She'd acted so differently! She seemed…cool. Like someone he'd want to get to know. But would that even be possible with her massive crush on him? He ended up doing something dumb but effective: asking Marinette what she thought of Chat Noir the next day at school.

"Hey!" he called from behind her locker. She jumped about a foot and screamed. Stupid, he shouldn't have snuck up on her like that. "I heard about your adventures with Chat Noir yesterday! Were you scared?" She sure didn't seem scared. She seemed almost like…Ladybug. Now where did that idea come from? Bashful Marinette was nothing like Ladybug. But she was so different yesterday…

"Me, scared? Pfft, it was a dream. I mean, you're a dream. I mean, in your dreams! Huh? Oh, this is a nightmare..." Her face turned bright red and he held back a laugh for her sake. He got her meaning. Really though, how could a crush reduce the confident, funny girl from yesterday into this?

"Okay... So, what do you think about Chat Noir? Was he awesome?" He held his breath. The moment of truth.

"I mean, sure! Yeah, but not as awesome as you, of course. Because, who could be? You're the most awesome of awesome," Marinette blathered.

His brain nearly stopped working with that declaration. She thought he was awesome. Both sides of him. He wasn't sure whether this was wonderful or terrible. How could he inevitably turn Marinette down when she was the only person to like both sides of him? Would it really be so terrible to give her a chance? Ladybug wasn't changing her mind any time soon, much as he tried to kid himself.

He tried playing it cool, shrugged, and patted her shoulder as he left. WHY DID HE JUST DO THAT WHEN HE WAS FREAKING OUT. Curse his shoulder-touching habit. He really needed to work on that. He probably just gave the most mixed signal in the history of mixed signals. He was socially hopeless. _Thanks, Father,_ he thought bitterly. If he'd grown up around actual children, he wouldn't end up in situations like this.


End file.
